Copyright 2006 - 2007 Susan Sleeman
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Blood Brothers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rick Acker / Kregel Publications Reviewed by Gail WelbornIf you weren't an Ackers fan when you began the book, you will be by the time you finish.When an experimental drug results in marked increases of creativity and efficiency, while adding strength and rapid response time, Karl and Gunner, of Bjornsen Pharmaceuticals, fast track Neurostim for FDA approval. Although the brothers agree on fast-tracking the drug, they disagree on everything else because of the fierce legal battle Karl initiated to gain control of the new drug and their joint-owned company. Distracted by quarrels and rising animosity, neither brother investigates the recent ominous reports of Neurostim's latest results. A lost and starving hiker first found the seeds for the new drug in a remote cave in Norway. When the desperate hiker ate a few seeds, he pocketed the rest, unsure of their effect. Soon he gained strength and a renewed will to live. When the hiker attributed his survival to the seeds, Norwegian scientists studied them and discovered complex compounds that affected neural pathways and increased cognitive learning abilities. When Gunner read about the seeds, he immediately licensed the rights to experiment with them and retain all product rights. To ensure a steady supply Gunner first cultivated a tree, not knowing what he would unleash upon an unsuspecting world. The drug took several years of research, travel and experimentation before Gunner perfected the formula that he then refused to share with anyone, even Karl. Karl's recent odd behavior baffled Gunner. He and Karl were not just brothers, they had always been buddies. Now they couldn't speak without shouting. When Karl initiated a lawsuit Gunner hired an attorney. Assuming it's a simple trade-secrets lawsuit, Ben Corbin takes the case. However, the investigation reveals embezzlement and bribery that reach into the company's Norwegian accounting department. What he learns also implicates his client's brother Karl. Ben and his team of legal assistants travel to Norway for an in-depth investigation. The journey endangers lives and threatens the release of the company's billion dollar profit-maker. Add fraud, blackmail, mysterious accidents and death, and you have the riveting beginning of Blood Brothers. Rick Acker wrote Blood Brothers while traveling to and from his "real job" as deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice. Well-written legal scenes and jargon mixed with inter-personal struggles are authentic. Sequel to Dead Man's Rule, Acker's intense legal suspense, with a pharmaceutical background, continues the series with powerful court-room scenes that involve the reader from the opening lines. If you weren't an Ackers fan when you began the book, you will be by the time you finish. |
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About Gail Welborn Visit Gail's website. |
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Blood Brothers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rick Acker / Kregel Publications Reviewed by Susan SleemanBlood Brothers plot is larger than life with many twists and turns to keep the story moving.Blood Brothers is Rick Acker's sequel to Deadman's Rule where attorney Ben Corbin finds himself in the middle of a high stakes battle between brothers Karl and Gunnar Bjornsen. Once partners in Bjornsen Pharmaceuticals, the brothers have split, leaving Karl in charge of the company with Gunnar desiring to reclaim the helm. As Blood Brother's opens, the company is ending animal trials and seeking FDA approval of a revolutionary new drug, a neural stimulant that increases strength and intelligence. A drug that could change the very face of the world, especially if it were to end up in the wrong hands. The brother's fight for the company and rights to the drug results in lawsuits and a very believable legal battle where Gunnar is represented by Ben Corbin. Blood Brothers is filled with secrets, cover ups, accounting irregularities, and murder. The action is coupled with personal struggles of the large cast of characters and the story spans the globe as it unravels. The plot is larger than life with many twists and turns. The story moves along rapidly and realistically introduces the reader to the very interesting world of pharmaceuticals. Though I found the scenes with the test animals gruesome, they helped bring to light the practices of drug testing. Acker does a fine job of making his characters not only face huge challenges in the business world, but he gives each of them genuine interpersonal struggles as well. The legal jargon and courtroom scenes were well written, drawing the reader into the trial and giving them a front row seat to cheer for a positive outcome. |
Rick Acker does his best work while traveling, and he pecks out pages every day
on the commuter train to his “real job” as a Deputy Attorney General in the California
Department of Justice. Rick's other books include Dead Man's Rule and
the Davis Detectives series for tweens. He lives in Northern California with his
wife, Anette, and their four children. Read more about Rick Acker
Suspense Books By Rick
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Brothers: A Novel Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rick Acker / Kregel Publications Karl and Gunnar Bjornsen have developed a revolutionary new drug---a neural stimulant that increases strength and intelligence! Unfortunately, its potential for success has them battling for control of their company. Karl sues Gunnar, and Gunnar hires Ben. But the case goes beyond sibling rivalry, and soon Ben's in Norway where things turn personal---and violent. 368 pages, softcover from Kregel. |
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Rule Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rick Acker / Kregel Publications Legal high jinks and a heinous plot equal page-turning excitement! Up-and-coming lawyer Ben Corbin battles a prominent Chicago litigator in a seemingly simple case over ownership of a safe deposit box. But when the defendant--- Dr. Mikhail Ivanovsky, a brilliant scientist involved in the Soviet biological weapons program---turns up dead, the case "dies" with him. Now who'll stop "the Brothers," a notorious Chechen gang? 320 pages, softcover from Kregel. |
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Christian Suspense
To Die For
